Covid inquiry extends deadline to produce Johnson’s evidence
The Consult Covid-19 has extended the deadline for the submission of evidence, amid an ongoing tug-of-war over whether Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and notebooks will be delivered to you.
The previous deadline had been 4pm today, but following a request to postpone it by a week to June 5, the chairman of the inquiry has granted a “short extension” until 4pm on Thursday.
The Cabinet Office has so far refused to hand over the documents. The notice published on Tuesday said the Cabinet Office has claimed it does not have the documents.
Reports have suggested the government does not believe the inquiry has rights to the documents.
The inquiry has said its demand for the documents has been expanded to include a “testimonial statement from a senior official, verified by a statement of truth” about whether the cabinet has the information or more details about them.
Updated at 05:52 EDT
Key events
Johnson says he is not opposed to giving information to the Covid inquiry
Boris Johnson has insisted he is not opposed to revealing his evidence to the Covid-19 investigation.
A spokesman for the former prime minister said: “Johnson has no objection to disclosing material to the inquiry. He has done so and will continue to do so.
“The decision to challenge the position of the inquiry on the newsrooms rests with the Cabinet Office.”
Covid inquiry extends deadline to produce Johnson’s evidence
The Consult Covid-19 has extended the deadline for the submission of evidence, amid an ongoing tug-of-war over whether Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and notebooks will be delivered to you.
The previous deadline had been 4pm today, but following a request to postpone it by a week to June 5, the chairman of the inquiry has granted a “short extension” until 4pm on Thursday.
The Cabinet Office has so far refused to hand over the documents. The notice published on Tuesday said the Cabinet Office has claimed it does not have the documents.
Reports have suggested the government does not believe the inquiry has rights to the documents.
The inquiry has said its demand for the documents has been expanded to include a “testimonial statement from a senior official, verified by a statement of truth” about whether the cabinet has the information or more details about them.
Updated at 05:52 EDT
A think tank funded by the former prime minister Gordon Brown has said that London and the Westminster political system are putting Scottish people outside the union.
In a survey for Our Scottish Future, just 17% of people said they felt they had a shared bond with Londoners, compared to 65% who did not.
The percentage was still in the minority, 33%, to feel a bond with the English in general. The survey of 1,000 people found there were closer associations with the north of England and Wales.
Similarly, 68% of Scots feel that people in London “generally have different values”.
A rally will take place in Edinburgh on Thursday to demand more power for the regions. Scottish leaders will join them Mark Drakefordthe first minister of wales, Andy Burnhamthe Mayor of Greater Manchester and Tracy Brabinthe Mayor of West Yorkshire.
In a report for the Telegraph, Brown said: “Our survey shows that Scotland’s problem is with Whitehall, Westminster and a London-centred system. Many parts of the rest of the UK also feel disengaged from a centralized state.”
Updated at 06:02 EDT
How work has announced its latest plans to help improve the number of homes being built, property developer donors can withhold money from conservative party for a perceived stance against developers.
The Times reports that around a fifth of donations to the Conservatives over a 10-year period, totaling £60m, came from property developers and housebuilders.
However, Tory sources told the newspaper that those donations have dried up as ministers were accused of bowing to “Selfish” MPs who consider themselves anti-development.
The party scrapped its housebuilding targets in December in response to a backbench rebellion.
The report provides a number of quotes from housebuilders from interviews in recent months, including the owner of Redrow Steve Morgan.
He gave £1.25m to the Tories when Boris Johnson was in Downing Street.
In an interview in March with industry publication Building, Morgan said: “It’s almost as if the government wants to destroy the industry.”
Updated at 05:38 EDT
Good morning.
Like the aftermath of a bad-tempered holiday barbecue, the start of this four-day week kicks off with a showdown with neither side backing down.
The deadline for unredacted messages between Boris Johnson and the government to be sent to the Covid consultation closes at 4pm.
The Cabinet Office and Johnson have so far refused to hand them over, which could trigger a potential legal challenge to the investigation.
Cabinet Office lawyers have said the inquiry does not have the power to request access to all documents.
It could delay the start of the investigation, which must hear evidence David Cameron and its former chancellor George Osborne in a fortnight on pandemic preparedness.
Of course, this comes a week after Johnson was referred to the police over his diaries which allegedly gave details of hosting family and friends at Checkers during Covid.
Meanwhile, pictures of Johnson at a village party in his old Oxfordshire constituency of Henley have emerged for the past 10 days, fueling suggestions he could try to run for his old seat. Current Member of Parliament John Howell has denied any deal has been made.
Away from Johnson, Rishi Sunak is visiting Kent, where he will discourage the use of vaping by children and teenagers, as he will appear alongside Chris Whitty. A plan could see a loophole that allows companies to give free vape samples to under-18s closed.
Labour, meanwhile, has announced it will allow councils to buy cheap land for development in a bid to solve the housing shortage and build more. In good, but not surprising news for Keir Starmer’s party, research published yesterday in the Sunday Times showed that nearly two-thirds of millennials believe the Conservatives deserve to lose the next election.
I’ll take you the rest of the day. Comments are open below the line.
Updated at 05:15 EDT
